Fates Confounded
by Fence and Laser
Summary: Sora's struggle with love and lust.
1. Shadow of a Hope

_Sora stood there in silence - the ominous door to the darkness looming above him. He reached out to grab the handle..._

_"...RIKU!"_

Sora awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. He looked around the darkened cottage and heard the soft breathing of his slumbering friends. Realizing it was just a dream he went back to sleep.

* * *

The morning arrived as Sora lay still - undisturbed by the chaos of the disorderly universe that surrounded him. The girl walked around to the side of his cot. "Sora, Sora wake up!" she said, nudging him. Sora's eyes opened to see Kiari's face looking down on him.

"Sora you lazy bum, get up!"

"Ki...Kiari?" He whispered.

"You really have a thing for her, don'tcha?" Kiari's face vanished and Yuffie stood in her place. "We have to go find what the King's letter asks for! And how exactly are we going to do that if our hero is snoring the day away!"

Sora sat upright to see Pluto snoozing at the foot of his cot, the king's letter around the dog's collar. He blinked as the bright light of morning shone through the single window onto his face, "Yeah, uh-huh, okay." he said in a disappointed voice, wishing Kiari were with him. Yuffie got down on her knees beside him.

"Hey, listen," she whispered comfortingly, "we _will_ find her..."

She got up and walked over towards three other cots where Leon, Donald and Goofy were sleeping peacefully, awaking them for the adventure that awaited them all.

* * *

The group stepped outside into the Third District. As they were walking, Sora heard a familiar laugh. It was warm and playful, inviting him to chase after it. Sora looked around, trying to see who was laughing. He looked down at the bottom of the ramp at the red-haired girl.

"Kiari!"

The figure quickly vanished, leaving a marking on the ground in its place. Sora and the others dashed towards the symbol engraved on the ground. It was one Sora, Donald and Goofy all recognized. It was a trinity mark, but unlike any he had ever seen before in his adventures; this one was black with a misty shadow-like vapor emitting from it and dispersing into the air. Sora looked deeply into the Trinity and heard Kiari's voice resonating in the distance:

_"I told you... I can't remember..."_

Sora had bent down to touch the trinity mark, looking up at Donald and Goofy to do the same, when he felt a biting sensation at his finger tips. He looked down to see that the Trinity had become a heartless symbol, engulfing his hand, growing wider by the second. He could feel a horrifyingly familiar power consuming him; feel the darkness in his heart awakening. Then all was silent, except for the soft lapping of the island waves.


	2. Darkness Unleashed

Riku's breath escaped his body as he collapsed to the ground. It felt as if someone had torn out his lungs. Clutching his heart, Riku rested on his knees, focusing on the name that was flooding his mind... 

_"Sora..."_

Sword clutched in hand, he raised his weapon to defend himself against the oncoming heartless. Pain now pulsated through his entire body. He attempted to stand up, realizing it was a futile attempt as he fell backwards into the surf. It was all over now. The salty blanket of the island tide that now washed over him would be the last thing he felt before the heartless claimed his soul. He could almost hear Sora's voice calling his name from a distance...

"_Riku..._ RIKU!"

Then all went black as he felt something grip at his chest.

* * *

Leon fought with a passion - the vortex that had consumed Sora had not vanished upon swallowing the boy, but instead spewed heartless from it's shadowy depths. Swinging his Gunblade while summoning fire he annihilated all within his sword's radius while moving his way towards the source of all the chaos. Reaching the darkness he plunged his arm into the hole, hoping that he might still be able to grab hold of Sora and free him. He reached deeper and deeper, desperately grasping for something he could not find. The heartless slashed at his arm as they emerged from the vortex. Leon's blood mixed with the swirling black pool and he could feel the darkness traveling up his veins as well. All he could think about now was sealing the vortex, and he bellowed a fierce command at the portal as though it were its own entity: 

"STOP!"

Leon's body shook violently as he yelled the command, and the vortex perished before his eyes. He fell to his knees, his chest searing with pain, feeling as if a piece of his heart had vanished along with the portal.


End file.
